The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1887-12-07

proof of our country's progress that if,
in the emergency.thst presses upon us
our manufacturers are asked to sur
render something for the public good
and to avert disaster, their patriotism
as well as
GRATEFUL RECOGNITION
Of the advantages already afforded,
should lead them TO be willing To CO
operate. No demand is made that they
shall forego all the benefits Of govern.
| be admonished of their duty as well as
their enlightened self-interest and
safety when they are reminded Of the
fact tnat financial panic and collapse
30 which the present condition tend,
afford no greater shelter or protection
to our manufacturers than to our
other Important enterprises. The OPP
| pOrJunity for safe, careful and de-
| liberate reform is now afforded and
none of US should be unmindful of
time when an abused and irritated
people, needless of those who have re-
sisted timely and seasenable relief,
may insist upon radical and sweeping
rectification of their wrongs. The dit
fculty attending q wise and fair re-
vision of our tariff laws is rot under
estimated. 1t will require on the part
of Congress
GREAT LABOR
and care, and especially a broad and
national contemplation of the subject
and a patriotic disregard of such local
and selfish claims as are unreasonable
and reckless of the welfare of the en-
tire country.
Under our present laws, more than
1000 articles are subject to duty; many
OF these do not N any way compete
with our ewn manufacturers and many
are hardly worth attention as subjects
of revenue. A considerable reduction
can be made ia the aggregate by adding
! them to the free list. The taxation of
| luXurieS presents no features of hard
! ship, but the necesSarieS of life used
and consumed by all the people, the
duty upon which adds to the cost of
| living in every home, should be greatly
cheapened. The radical reduction of
| the duties imposed upon raw material
used in manufactures or its free I'M
portation, is of course, an important
! factor 10 any effort to reduce the price
OF these necessaries. 1t would not
only relieve them from the
INCREASED COST
caused by the tariff on such material,
but the manufactured product, being
| thus cheaPened, that part Of the tariff
now laid upon such product as COM
penSation to our manufacturers for
| the present price of raw material
could be accordingly modified. Such
reduction, or free importation, would
serve besides to largely reduce the
revenue. It is not apparent how such
a change can have any Injurious affect
upon our manufacturers; on the con
I trary, 1t WeuId appear to give them
| better chance in foreign markets with
the manufacturers of other counties,
who cheaper their wares by free ma
terial, and thus our people might have
the opportunity of extending their
sales beyond the limits of home con-
sumption, saving them from the de-
! preston, interruption in business and
/ loss caused by a glutted domestic
market aad affOTding their employees
more certain and
| STEADY LABOR
with it's resulting quiet and content
ment. The question thus imperatively
presented for solution should be ap-
preached in spirit higher than par
| tiSauship and considered in the light
| of that regard for patriotic duty which
should characterize the action OF these
| intrusted with the veal of q confding
peuplr. But the obligation to de-
clared party policy and principle is not
/ wanting to urge prompt and effective
action. Both of the great political
parties now represented in the govern
ment have, by repeated and authori-
tative declarations, condemned the
condition of our laws, which permit
! the collection from the people of I'M
necessary revenue and have IN the
most solemn manner, promised US
correction, and neither as citizens or
partiSans are our cOuntrymep in g
mood to COndone the
DRLIBHRATE VIOLATION
of these pledges. Our progress to-
ward a wise conclusion will not be i'm
proved by dwelling upon the theories
Of protection and free trade. This
savors too much of bandying epithets.
1t is a condition which coHfronts us,
net theory. Relief from this con-
dition may involve slight reduction
of the advantages which we award our
home productions, but the entire
withdrawal Of such advantages should
not be contemplated. The question of
free trade is absolutely irrelevant and
the persistent claim made in certain
quarters taat all efforts to re-
lieve the people from unjust and
unnecessary taxation are schemes OF
so-called free traders, is mischIevous
and far removed from any considera-
ton for the public good. The simple
and plain duty which We owe the peo-
pie is to
REDUCE TAXATION
to the necessary expenses of an econ
omical operation of the government
and to restore to the business OF the
country the money which we hold in
the treasury Through this perversion
of gov ernmental powers. These things
can and should be done with safety
to all our industries without danger to
the opportunity for remunerative ac-
tive labor which cur workiagmen need
and with benefit to them and all our
people BY cheapening their means OF
subsistence and increasing the measure
of their comforts.
IN CONCLUSION.
The Constitution provides that the
4. TO